DDU marg buildings default on property tax

Deen Dayal Upadhyay (DDU) Marg near ITO has become the latest address of many political and social organisations. A row of buildings have come up along the road in the past five years. But apart from the address, what they also have in common are their property tax dues, the north corporation has said.

"The list of these organisations includes names such as Rajiv Bhawan, Rabri Bhawan, Chandrashekhar Bhawan and Maharaja Ranjit Singh Trust," said Mahender Nagpal, leader of the House, north corporation.

In 2010, the unified MCD had sent out notices to the defaulters that have to pay taxes in the range of Rs 4 lakh to Rs 72 lakh. But apart from the All India Trade Union Congress office, nobody has paid up.

A senior official of the corporation said a dispute over the tax arose as the calculations were based on commercial rates. These organisations were to be charged according to rates meant for social and political 'institutions', which are lower. The time period of the property tax calculation is also under dispute.

"We have requested the buildings to give us details of when they were built so we can correct the figures and collect the requisite amount. But no one has bothered to respond," said the official.

But Jai Prakash Agarwal, president of the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee, said that the BJP-ruled north corporation was not keen on giving the right assessment.

Hirendra, director of the Maharaja Ranjit Singh Trust, said, "The building is still under construction. How can the north corporation charge us property tax when the building is not even incomplete?"

RJD leaders said they were unaware of any tax problems related to the Rabri Bhawan that was inaugurated in 2011.